Dominique Horton

Reimagining What’s Possible

By Dominique Horton

As a Ph.D. student in Social Work at the Brown School here at Washington University, there aren’t always paths to explore using research skills alongside business or industry opportunities. Through Pivot 314 however, I had the privilege of interning with an education and social impact consulting firm that allowed me to do just that! I’m Dominique Horton, a former school social worker whose research interests center African American children and educational justice.

I have always had the desire to learn more about education consulting work and through my internship with Friday, I participated in supporting mission-driven organizations and schools in reimagining the work they do and the story they tell. Under the leadership of Co-Founder and Partner Annie Crangle, a WashU alumna, I primarily served as a strategist. In this role, I was able to support educational leaders in developing  meaningful, measurable and actionable strategic plans that aim to accomplish their goals and ultimately enhance their ability to serve others.

One of Friday’s key values is to be able to support schools and organizations in understanding how education, community and opportunity are deeply connected and how this interconnectedness impacts the people they seek to serve. As a part of this mission, Friday has developed an exciting survey called Highlight that aims to assist schools in identifying condition gaps. This survey centers student voice by assessing how schools support students in five key areas: basic needs, belonging, self-efficacy, rigor and hope.  Thus far, these surveys have been utilized with over 20 schools with over 6,000 responses. I had the opportunity to dig into these data and begin identifying macro level trends. This allowed me the chance to apply many of the research skills I’ve learned in a pragmatic way—giving educators and administrators an opportunity to better understand how their students feel about their learning environment and giving them the tools to do something about it. These data confirmed much of the previous research on students of color experiences in schools. This immersive research project ended with a blog post containing initial findings and begins the process of a short series blogs that highlight important trends in student perceptions.

Additionally, fellow interns and I engaged in a qualitative research project where we got the opportunity to engage and interview leaders in their respective sectors. Again, here, we were able to analyze these data to produce an interactive storymap. Not only was this a chance to further promote the company, but also exposes the broader public to the intersection of learning, community and opportunity. It also gives those nested in mission-driven organizations a way to reflect and reassess how they engage these critical areas in their work.

In addition to translating my research skills in an applied approach, I was impressed with the way in which this group of young professionals are reimagining the way consulting looks and feels both internally and in their work with clients. From bright, bold colors and accessible language in their marketing and deliverables, to intentionality, to DEI in hiring, onboarding and work, to being committed to personnel feeling valued and heard, there are many experiences I could share from this summer. However, one of my favorite moments was both writing and reflecting with my colleagues on our “user manuals”—a document that serves as a useful guide to utilize in understanding our working and communication styles in addition to other helpful information such as ways in which we best receive feedback and optimal conditions needed for our professional productivity.

As a result of Pivot and Friday, I’ve enhanced my confidence, leadership capabilities and increased my desire for consulting work. This experience has allowed me to reimagine what’s possible not only for our clients, but for myself.